A neighbour enquires about where she is coming from and why she is walking unaided. Kalpona, who has heard this question so many times before, smiles and tells him that she's coming from office.

In an instructive and rather sympathetic voice, the man tells her that it is not safe for a woman to go out alone, especially if she is blind.

Kalpona prefers not to say anything. The silence breaks as a five-year-old boy opens the door, shouts in an excited voice and hugs her. Arnoub, the little boy, is manifestly glad to see his mother back home.

After about an hour, Jahangir, the boy's father rings the doorbell. Again Arnoub opens the door, goes through the same routine as with his mother.

Jahangir, who works for a development agency, asks Arnoub about what he did at school that day. Arnoub gives an account of his activities at school.

Jahangir listens attentively to his son's recounting. Kalpona tries to enter the dialogue in an attempt to cut the matter short. But her effort fails. The eager father and the enthusiastic son are locked in a very serious discussion.

Kalpona and Jahangir married when they were students. Both have master’s degree from Dhaka University.

Kalpona is visually handicapped and, although he can see, Jahangir sometimes faces difficulties with his sight.

On whether it has been easy maintaining a relationship and also being a good parent, Kalpona has a little story to tell.

" When I was pregnant," she says, "I went to a maternity hospital in Dhaka for a regular check-up. The doctor wanted to know where I lived. I told her I lived in girls' hostel.

"She was surprised and in a rather disapproving manner, asked why I was pregnant," Kalpana said. "I felt humiliated and refused to talk to her. Later on I went to another health center."

Kalpana explains that the doctor's reaction to her pregnancy could have been prompted by such assumptions as that she was unmarried and, therefore, should not have been pregnant, or that blind people do not have the right to marry or be pregnant.

Such assumptions, which are common in many societies, have led the general belief that disabled people are not suited for marriage or parenthood.

According to Jahangir, "People think we cannot take proper care of our child. When someone hears that we have a son, the very first question she asks is whom else do we live with!

"In most middle class families maids help mothers take care of children. In joint families grandmothers take care of their grandchild, especially the firstborn," Jahangir says.

"But in our case, when our parents look after Arnoub, it becomes a subject of discussion," he says. "They do so, it seems, to prove that it is only through the help of other people that the "disabled" can raise a child,” says he. "Doesn't living in society require a certain amount of dependency? Who Is independent in this world?" asks Kalpona. "Both disabled and non-disabled

People need help from family, society and state," she insists.

According to a government source, in Bangladesh 10 per cent of the population is disabled. Disabled people do not get enough attention both from the government and the private sector.

"There is no support for a disabled family from government", complains Kalpona. "In spite of all limitations, disabled people are finding their place in society through the help of their families," she Confirms.

There isn't any wheelchair facility at government offices, schools, universities or shopping centers. Besides, many people living with disabilities complain that most hardships they face everyday are due Not to ignorance but to the arrogance of non-disabled people.

"The attitude is that everything should be normal. The problem with many isthat they do not know what 'normal' is," Jahangir wonders.

As night moves ahead Kalpona feels it is time to the kitchen to cook food for the family. She slowly makes her way to the kitchen. Arnaub knows her mother will put a match to the gas stove and begin to cook. Jahangir knows this is one area where Kalpona would not allow anyone, not even him, to Help her. She is a proud person. She has confidence in her ability to do many things that many non-disabled persons cannot do. Blindness has m impaired only her outer vision, but she knows that the unending ecstasy Of life does not converge only around vision. Life offers infinite opportunities and endless possibilities. For Kalpona life itself is a victory over impairment. She and Jahangir have accepted the challenges of Life. Their son Arnaub is the symbol of their triumph over social odds.

It is 9:15 pm. Arnaub is loudly reciting a poem of Rabindranath Tagore. Jahangir is lounging on the sofa watching TV. Occasionally, he looks at the kitchen door. A strong aroma of spices has filled the whole house. Kalpona is not visible from the sofa. Jahangir looks at the white wall opposite to the gas burner. There on the white wall he only catches sight of Kalpona's shadow dancing as the flames of the stove flicker.